Dr Humanities

My 2026 A level students have all now finished up!📝

Today, kind words from the mum of a Year 13 student on Edexcel A level History.😊

We’ve been working together for nearly two years; tuition is always more powerful if you begin the school year prior to any exam, or at least in the September prior.📆

A very high achiever – which brings corresponding challenges and pressures.😩

Our work together really focussed on exam technique, how to squeeze every mark out of the mark scheme and hit the very top of the top band.✅

In April we heard she was awarded full marks on her coursework!🚀

I’m keeping double fingers crossed that the recent paper 1-3 exams went just as well!🤞🤞

Y10s and Y12s, I’m currently booking in students for a start right now or in September and I’ll be delighted to have you along to support you with that key quartet of knowledge, exam technique, revision skill and confidence!!😎

Just a place or two left now, though!⏰

Dr Christopher Banham is ‘Dr Humanities’, tutoring in History, Geography and Religious Studies at KS3, GCSE and A level in the UK and worldwide.👨‍🎓

Message me here on social media or email [email protected] to chat about how we can work together!🙂

Remember the fox who’s been joining my classes since early 2025?🦊

We call her … wait for it … Foxy.🤦

When she’s around all my 1:1s become group classes! Students love hearing when the Foxy arrives and what she’s doing!😁

She’s spent this last couple of weeks saying goodbye to my 2025-26 cohort.👋

And eating gravy bones.🦴

I’m currently booking in students to start in June/July and September. Foxy would love to see you come on board with us! I only have a place or two left, though!⏰

Message me here on social media or email [email protected] to chat about how we can work together!🧑👱‍♀️💻↔💻👨‍🎓🦊

You might remember that last summer my family and I spent a very sunny week in beautiful , at the foot of , AKA .🏔

Beddgelert means ‘Gellert’s grave’; the village is famous for a heroic hound!🐕

Pictured here is Peach, pondering her bold ancestor.🐩

The Religious Studies-related update this week is that St Mary's Church in Beddgelert has voted “best place on earth”!🌍

I read this on BBC News, though the original vote took place on the popular Terrible Maps subreddit.🗺️

"I might be biased saying this, but it definitely deserved to win," said the church's Reverend Kim Williams.👍

GCSE Religious Studies students, this a great example of the significance of churches in Christian worship – you may not need a Church, but for many people the beauty of a holy building can significantly enhance the experience of the believer.⛪️

Dr Christopher Banham is ‘Dr Humanities’, tutoring in History, Geography and Religious Studies at KS3, GCSE and A level in the UK and worldwide.👨‍🎓

Message me here on social media or email [email protected] to chat about how we can work together!🙂

I’m currently booking in students for June and September, when my exam candidates leave, and I’ll be delighted to have you along! Just a place or two left now!⏰

Last year we had confirmation that the GCSE in Natural History was back on!🐖

There were fears that the new qualification, in development at Cambridge OCR, would be scrapped as an initiative of the previous government.🦆

The latest update is that last week the DfE launched the long-awaited public consultation on the GCSE.🦐

Once that’s completed, we’re onto content, assessment, and eventually launch!🐟

Teachers, tutors, home educators, parents and students, go to the Cambridge OCR website and have your say!🦡

KS3 students, do you think you’d like to take the GCSE in Natural History as a Y10-11 option?🐢

Dr Christopher Banham is ‘Dr Humanities’, tutoring in History, Geography and Religious Studies at KS3, GCSE and A level in the UK and worldwide.👨‍🎓

Message me here on social media or email [email protected] to chat about how we can work together!🙂

I’m currently booking in students for June and September, when my exam candidates leave, and I’ll be delighted to have you along! Just a place or two left now!⏰

🪨☀️🪨 BUILD 20: STONEHENGE SUMMER SOLSTICE SPECIAL!!🪨☀️🪨

⏰THIS WEEK, TUESDAY 16TH JUNE 2026 10-11AM!!⏰

💻To book in, just go to: https://linktr.ee/drhumanities 💻

We all know LEGO® is fun!🥰

Did you know that research shows LEGO® is great for learning too?🧠

✅Increased engagement, motivation and enjoyment.
✅Enhanced problem solving and critical thinking.
✅Improved social and emotional skills.

The most beneficial LEGO® activities involve structured learning rather than free play.📋

That’s what Let’s Build History!, exclusively for home-educated students, is all about!😯

Each week we use our bricks to explore a different fascinating aspect of the past, learning and growing as we build together!🧑🏰👧

Your 1985 LEGO® ‘Master Builder’-awarded host is me, Dr Christopher Banham!👨‍🎓

✅Internationally-published historian.
✅20+ years a teacher and leader in humanities education.
✅Tutoring since 2008, now a full-time professional tutor.
✅Full enhanced DBS, registered on the update service and checked daily; safeguarding trained.
✅Four decades of LEGO®-building expertise!

Let’s Build History! is designed for ages 7-14 (KS2-KS3), but don’t worry, home-edders of all ages are most welcome!👍

Grab your bricks and come join the build! 🧱🧱🧱

👨‍🎓Dr Christopher Banham is ‘Dr Humanities’, tutoring in History, Geography and Religious Studies at KS3, GCSE and A level, UK and worldwide.👨‍🎓

🧱LEGO® is a trademark of the LEGO® Group of companies; no sponsorship, authorisation or endorsement is implied.🧱

⛴️⛴️⛴️This week we’ve built an INDUSTRIAL REVOLUTION NARROWBOAT!! Swipe to see our stars!! ⛴️⛴️⛴️

⏰JOIN US FOR THE NEXT BUILD ON TUESDAY 16TH JUNE 2026 10-11AM!!⏰

💻To book in, just go to: https://linktr.ee/drhumanities 💻

We all know LEGO® is fun!🥰

Did you know that research shows LEGO® is great for learning too?🧠

✅Increased engagement, motivation and enjoyment.
✅Enhanced problem solving and critical thinking.
✅Improved social and emotional skills.

The most beneficial LEGO® activities involve structured learning rather than free play.📋

That’s what Let’s Build History!, exclusively for home-educated students, is all about!😯

Each week we use our bricks to explore a different fascinating aspect of the past, learning and growing as we build together!🧑🏰👧

Your 1985 LEGO® ‘Master Builder’-awarded host is me, Dr Christopher Banham!👨‍🎓

✅Internationally-published historian.
✅20+ years a teacher and leader in humanities education.
✅Tutoring since 2008, now a full-time professional tutor.
✅Full enhanced DBS, registered on the update service and checked daily; safeguarding trained.
✅Four decades of LEGO®-building expertise!

Let’s Build History! is designed for ages 7-14 (KS2-KS3), but don’t worry, home-edders of all ages are most welcome!👍

Grab your bricks and come join the build! 🧱🧱🧱

👨‍🎓Dr Christopher Banham is ‘Dr Humanities’, tutoring in History, Geography and Religious Studies at KS3, GCSE and A level, UK and worldwide.👨‍🎓

🧱LEGO® is a trademark of the LEGO® Group of companies; no sponsorship, authorisation or endorsement is implied.🧱

I’m looking into the distance again, which mean I must be in a wistful mood…🤔

My final Y13 student is about to have a final session in preparation for a final exam – and then it’s all over for another year!😢

In 2025-26 I’ve supported students in History, Geography and Religious Studies with their GCSEs, IGCSEs, A levels and IALs, Zooming as near as half a mile away in north Leeds to as far as Mumbai, India!🌍

A final goodbye and good luck from me!🙌🍀

It has been a pleasure knowing and working with you all!❤️

Don’t forget to let me know all the good news on results day in the summer!🤞🤞

Dr Christopher Banham is ‘Dr Humanities’, tutoring in History, Geography and Religious Studies at KS3, GCSE and A level in the UK and worldwide.👨‍🎓

Message me here on social media or email [email protected] to chat about how we can work together!🙂

I’m currently booking in students for June and September, when my exam candidates leave, and I’ll be delighted to have you along! Just a place or two left now!⏰

The last of my 2026 GCSE students finished up on Tuesday with Edexcel History paper 3!📝

Today, kind words from the mum of a Year 11 student on that Edexcel course.😊

Like me, she left school in search of a better way to do learning. 🏃‍♀️🏫

When we began in January 2025, she was understandably low on confidence after her time in the classroom.😢

We worked together to build up knowledge and understanding over time; when you do that, the self-belief always follows.💪

Now, she’s consistently acing her practice questions and ready to achieve in those summer exams!📈

Y10s and Y12s, I’m currently booking in students for a start right now or in September and I’ll be delighted to have you along to support you with that key quartet of knowledge, exam technique, revision skill and, yes, confidence!!😎

Just a place or two left now, though!⏱️

Dr Christopher Banham is ‘Dr Humanities’, tutoring in History, Geography and Religious Studies at KS3, GCSE and A level in the UK and worldwide.👨‍🎓

Message me here on social media or email [email protected] to chat about how we can work together!🙂

Yesterday I read an interesting article about the USA men’s football team, currently warming up for this summer’s World Cup.⚽️

The Guardian piece by Leander Schaerlaeckens explores the growing role of Christianity within the Team USA.🇺🇸

Players including Christian Pulisic openly speak about their faith, share Bible verses, pray together and take part in Bible studies.📖

The article argues that this reflects a broader shift in American culture, where public expressions of faith have become more common.⛪️

It also places the team's religious culture against the backdrop of debates about Christian nationalism and its association with Donald Trump's political movement, highlighting the increasingly complex relationship between religion and politics in the US.✟

While not every player is religious, faith appears to play an important role for many within the squad, providing a sense of identity, purpose and community.👍

GCSE and A level Religious Studies students, there isn’t much scope in your courses to talk about sport – alas, the days of the excellent AQA ‘Religious Expression in Society’ unit are long gone!👎

However, there are plenty of opportunities to talk about the nature and purpose of prayer, so you can certainly use Team USA in that context.🙏

Dr Christopher Banham is ‘Dr Humanities’, tutoring in History, Geography and Religious Studies at KS3, GCSE and A level in the UK and worldwide.👨‍🎓

Message me here on social media or email [email protected] to chat about how we can work together!🙂

I’m currently booking in students for June and September, when my exam candidates leave, and I’ll be delighted to have you along! Just a place or two left now!🤜🤛

On my local high street in Horsforth, North Leeds, another new barber is opening up!💇

This reminded of a fun summertime activity I invented a couple of years ago here on social media!🌞

As part of AQA and Edexcel GCSE History unit ‘Medicine Through Time’, students cover a range of medieval medics: physicians, apothecaries and barber surgeons.🏨

A barber surgeon was a barber who also performed small surgeries, like tooth extractions and blood-letting.🦷

To advertise their services, they displayed a sign featuring a bloodied arm outside of their shops…💪

…which over time became the red and white barber pole!💈

At the time I remarked that you don’t see them these days. I hadn’t seen one for years. Maybe you’d see one at a really old-fashioned establishment, or an ironic hipster beard-massager.💇‍♂️

Then I looked more carefully on my local high street.👀

Three! All on regular, day-to-day barbers!💈💈💈

Funny how these things pass us by as we go about our lives.🤔

This summer, as you’re walking around your home town or a holiday destination, keep a tally of how many barber’s poles you see, and remember where it all started: with the barber surgeon!✂

Let me know in the comments below if you see any!👇

Dr Christopher Banham is ‘Dr Humanities’, tutoring in History, Geography and Religious Studies at KS3, GCSE and A level in the UK and worldwide.👨‍🎓

Message me here on social media or email [email protected] to chat about how we can work together!🙂

I’m currently booking in students for June and September, when my exam candidates leave, and I’ll be delighted to have you along! Just a place or two left now!🤜🤛

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